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music
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Winter Sprinter 2018 – a place where wry, literate indie can feel at homeThe Surfing Magazines, Jessica’s Brother and former Weather Prophet Pete Astor got Fika Recordings’ four-day residency off to a shambolic but intriguing start -
Spotify sued for $1.6bn in unpaid royalties as it reportedly files for IPOThe music streaming service faces a claim on behalf of artists including Neil Young and Janis Joplin as it prepares a share sale
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The Ramones at the Rainbow: 'very loud, very slick and very very simple'3 January 1978 Hailed as New York’s top punks, their style is totally different to that of other new wave bands -
Digital streaming behind biggest rise in UK music sales for two decadesPlatforms such as Apple Music and Spotify plus renaissance in vinyl records help fuel fastest annual growth since 1998
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Lorde called a bigot in Washington Post ad over cancelled Israel concertAdvert placed by ‘America’s rabbi’ Shmuley Boteach also accuses singer’s native New Zealand of prejudice against Israel
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Police investigate alleged sexual assault in Falls festival mosh pitYoung woman helped from mosh pit during Jungle Giants set on Friday night, while second woman reports sexual assault on Saturday
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Rihanna calls for end to gun violence after cousin dies in shootingSinger posts picture of herself with man who is believed to have been killed in shooting in Barbados on Boxing Day
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Candi Staton – stories, silver boots and smash hits from the great soul survivorThe disco queen threw a feelgood New Year’s Eve party with a playlist that ran from shimmering dance numbers to copper-bottomed classics
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Concerto Italiano – Alessandrini brings fastidious stylishness to BachA concert dedicated to Bach’s enigmatic Musical Offering showcased the precision of Rinaldo Alessandrini’s ensemble, while highlighting the austerity of the work
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Powerdance: The Lost Art of Getting Down – love is the messageThe collective celebrate disco and post-punk from an age before tedious dancefloor Instagrams – but their bass-heavy toughness means they never become retro
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The top 40 newcomers of 2018From Bjork-endorsed Syrian-American producer Káryyn to the gruff UK drill of Abra Cadabra and the stunning, Aphex Twin-like compositions of Glasgow’s Lanark Artefax, we pick out the names to keep tabs on next year
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By Rag’n’Bone Man, Charli XCX and moreFrom Craig David’s intergenerational Glastonbury success to Tim Jonze’s run-in with Marc Almond, pop stars and Guardian music writers pick their musical memories of the year
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video
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Is algorave the future of dance music?By building up tracks through the manipulation of programming code, algorave producers are among the underground’s most dextrous and daring. We head to Sheffield to meet those at the heart of the scene
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Exclusive Johnny Marr and Maxine Peake music video: The Priest
Watch Johnny Marr and Maxine Peake's music video The Priest, about a young homeless girl's experiences of life on the street
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Run the code: is algorave the future of dance music? – video
By building up tracks through the manipulation of programming code – and pairing them with visuals also made on the fly – algorave producers are among the underground's most dextrous and daring work. Iman Amrani heads to Sheffield to meet those at the heart of the scene
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Barack and Michelle Obama pay tribute to Diana Ross at 2017 American music awards - video
The former president and first lady congratulate Diana Ross before she accepts her lifetime achievement award at the American Music Awards
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Residente: Latin America's most successful rapper on race and Trump's America – video
Puerto Rican rapper, writer and film-maker Residente is one of the most successful Latino artists of his generation, winning 24 Latin Grammys as one half of internationally renowned group Calle 13. Now, his solo album has nine nominations
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Free improvisation: still the ultimate in underground music?
Pioneered in the 1950s by musicians breaking the rules of jazz and composition, free improvisation is still as difficult – and potentially transcendent – as it ever was. A Guardian documentary takes you inside its world
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The most talked-about man in music
His new album Channel Orange was rushed out a week early to rave reviews, then he made headlines worldwide by blogging about his sexuality. 'I wanted to wake up without this freakin' boulder on my chest,' he says in this Guardian exclusive
interviews
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Julia Michaels: 'If men can openly talk about sex, why can’t women?'The American singer has penned hits for Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez – but never felt she was cut out to be a star herself. With Grammy nominations for song of the year and best new artist, that looks all set to change
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From Arnhem Land to sharing a stage with Dizzee RascalTrilingual hip-hop artist and one-time member of Indigenous dance troupe Djuki Mala has his sights on being the next Drake
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Tom Grennan: the pop wideboy putting dark days behind himAt 18, the Bedford-born singer was set upon by a group of strangers, an assault that left him badly injured. The experience spurred him on to develop his music, polished pop-soul with a wideboy touch that is fast earning him acclaim
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Ms Banks – the Nicki Minaj-approved rapper standing up to heartbreakThe Londoner has beaten poverty to stand at the vanguard of new British female MCs, and her formidable flow has earned A-list attention
quizzes
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The house Elvis built turns 60: how much do you know about Graceland? – quizElvis Presley bought his Memphis mansion 60 years ago on Sunday. How well do you know the history of rock’n’roll’s White House?
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Were you paying attention? Classical music in 2016 – quizHow many of the classical world’s comings and goings, openings and closings, bouquets and brickbats do you remember from the past 12 months? Try our quiz
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How well do you know the Triple J Hottest 100? Try our infinite quizThis quiz features randomised questions dynamically generated from Hottest 100 data between 1993 and 2014
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How well do you know the life of Freddie Mercury? – quizIt’s the 25th anniversary of the death of the Queen frontman on 24 November – test your knowledge of his life and times
in pictures
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Prince in 1970s MinneapolisRobert Whitman was asked to take some promotional pictures of an unknown Minneapolis musician, Prince Rogers Nelson. They ended up being the first documents of one of pop music’s true geniuses
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The forgotten women of the 1980s indie boomA new book, Untypical Girls, documents the women who refused to be cowed in the male-dominated indie scene that flourished in the 1980s – from riot grrrls to shoegazers
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Brian Griffin's rock photographyBrian Griffin invented technical tricks to turn 80s pop into an edgy visual wonderland. From Iggy Pop to Kate Bush, he recalls the stories behind the shots
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Portraits from the undergroundLiz Ham started taking photos of women in the punk scene because she wanted to pay tribute to a diverse community that, in her experience, was welcoming, supportive and liberating
you may have missed
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We embrace who we are, we’re not perfectLittle Mix are one of the biggest girl bands in the world. So shouldn’t they be having as much fun as the Spice Girls before them? Eva Wiseman finds out it’s not so simple in 2017
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On pleasure, patriarchy and political revolutionIn the wake of Plunge, her first album in eight years, Karin Dreijer opens up about her queer re-awakening, motherhood and the joys of Tinder
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How SBTV, Link Up and GRM Daily propped up black British musicThe second wave of grime overcame mainstream suspicion in large part thanks to three web platforms that relentlessly promoted the genre – and even found time to boost Ed Sheeran
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Mourning David Cassidy, the original 70s pinupThat hair! That voice! Cassidy was loved by millions but soon grew sick of the manufactured world of fame. His career mapped out a path for the teen idols who followed
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How tech set underground music freeYouTube, social media and even Bitcoin are allowing musicians to reject major labels and go it alone – but the industry is fighting back. Can artists use technology to stay truly independent?
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Pop culture’s dark obsession with Charles MansonThe cult leader has inspired thoughtful works of art and literary novels but is more often used as a hackneyed shortcut to outrage. Why the fascination with a white supremacist and misogynist who masterminded the murder of seven people?
from our partners
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Hidden Figures filmFind out more about the film Hidden Figures and the women who helped take us to space
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Coachella 2018 Lineup announced, headlined by Beyoncé and Eminem